


Boundless

by NervousAliceCurious



Category: Original Work
Genre: Cross Over, Gen, Rescue Journey, Wholesomeness Mostly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:01:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26830033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousAliceCurious/pseuds/NervousAliceCurious
Summary: After Moon disappears, Miley starts a quest to find her, unintentionally picking up seven others in the process.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	Boundless

**Author's Note:**

> Cw: Nothing too bad? Just talking about death a little bit at some point, a tiny fight. Some fear, memories.

-I don’t remember how I got here.

I can remember sp-

Nnno.

...

It’s a grand room...

Someone is re-arranging stuff.

There are files on the front desk.

I don’t recognize anyone, not the blue-eyed girl, the elfin guy, no one.

“Glad you’re up”.

They turn-

They briefly remind me of the cat that got the cream.

“Who are you?”

I’m grateful for the distraction, though...

“I live here”.

“And where’s here?”

It doesn’t look like the Academy-

“The Museum of Curiosities”.

They grin.

“I was wondering if you would like to work with me”.

(I see my own file: Moon Selene).

*

“-Hi, hi, hello-“

I fly through this crowd of spirits like my life depends on it-!!

“Excuse me-excuse me-

Has ANYONE seen my friend-!!??”

-When we’re not needed, we go to the Afterlife, and she’s not there-

“ANYONE-!??”

Eyes just stare.

They don’t know what to do with the screaming weirdo.

It doesn’t. . . _feel_ good-

“Her name’s Moon-

She’s got red irises, and whitish hair-!!”

No one says a thing.

They probably have no idea whom I’m talking about.

‘And why would they’, I think bitterly, ‘We died before anyone could even _know_ us-‘

“-Red irises, you say?”

*

“Yes, have you seen her!?”

“I _might_ have heard whispers. . . .”

She breathes.

“Cool...I’m Miley Watson”.

She holds out a hand to shake.

“And you are?”

“Michael”.

My purple cloak hood drifts into my face.

For the eighth time-

‘S what I get for running around these air currents alive.

“I’m in the next class”.

She blanches.

“-Oh don’t worry.

I already know what I’m in for”.

I’ve looked Hope’s Peak up after all. . .

“At least you have that much”.

She grimaces in remembered pain.

“Just don’t flunk the entrance exam”.

“I won’t”.

-In reality, I don’t actually have a _clue_ how I’ll do, but oh well.

“Who’s whispering”.

“Word on the street is, a Live Exporter has come to town”.

“What!?”

She exclaims so loudly, half the corridor turns to stare at us.

“I mean what I said:

Someone’s going around kidnapping people”.

“That’s sick!!”

“I agree”.

I shake her hand.

“That’s why, I want to come with you”.

*

-After what happened. . .happened, I was _so_ in the dark-

Now it’s better, but-

Still.

“Um. . .hello?”

I wave at the Information Person-

“Hm?”

“-Can you please tell me where I am?”

I did _not_ come this far just to get lost now.

“Name?”

“-You want my what?”

“Name, please. . .”

They push forward an antiquated clipboard.

I’m-

“Paddy?”

Scribbling.

In _slow_ motion-

“Look...can’t you just let me go through?”

I hate how I’m still in my hospital clothes.

And I’m being _eyed_ because of that.

How great.

“I won’t break any laws or anything, I promise-“

“Do you”.

Dry as the _desert._

“. . .”

They stick their palm out.

“Identification, please. . .”

I smile nervously.

“.....Identification?”

“You must have some”.

They’re getting cross.....

“I...”

Don’t.

Um-

I don’t want to get thrown in prison--!!

I gulp.

“-I have it somewhere-“

“Show me, please. . .”

I _sweat._

Any moment their hand could go to the portable phone-

“-!’

I am suddenly aware I am being watched.

“-?”

Rightbehindme-

“AHHH-!??”

I jump-

Who the heck is _this!???_

*

I do not know what the problem is.

I am only watching.

-They bounce off the desk, and land in my hand-grip.

“Who-who-“

“You are not an owl”.

“Whaaaa-!??”

“-But I suppose if you like to hoot-“

“Who _are_ you!?”

“I am-“

“-Identification?”

Yes.

What is that.

“We are going now”.

“What!??”

I sink into the 2nd Dimension.

They turn pale.

“Wh-at is that-“  
“The 2nd Dimen-“

“No, I know that!”

“Hm?”

“Who are you?”

“I am Ink”.

“From what!? Bendy and the Ink Machine?”

“. . .What is that?”

“A video game-“

“Hmm”.

I glide under the checkpoint, and past the stems of streetlights.

Their roots grow down, and they spark, often. . .

“Who are you?” I ask back-  
“Paddy-“

“Paddy?”

“Yeah-“

He makes a strange, strangled noise.

“Short for Padparadscha”.

“Hmmm”.

I re-surface on a corner made of glass.

“There you go”.

“Uhhh...”

Their red lashes blink.

“Thank you?”

“You are welcome”.

I shall leave-

“WAIT-“

“Hm-“

They have grabbed my arm.

“Please don’t strand me in the big, scary city, all my myself-“

“....I will not......”

“Oh thank God”.

. . .  
“God?”

*

I about fall off the couch when Ink reappears with some dude-

“-Hi!??”

“Hi. . .”

He bashfully puts his gaze to the floor.

Ink sets him down.

“I have found...Padparadscha.....”

“-Wow, that’s your name!?”

That’s so cool-!!

“Yup”.

He doesn’t seem too proud of it, though. . .. 

He scratches his head.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Kiara-“

“Kiara is my friend”.

Ink stands.

“And she is nice”.

“That’s good to hear...”

Mr. Padparadscha rubs his arms.

“Man, it’s cold-“

“The heater broke last week”.

(Ink accidentally flooded it-)

“Oh....”

“...Where did you find him?”

“He was trying to get in”.

“To the _house!?”_

What-

“N-wait-!!”

Paddy waves his arms-

“Nonononono-“

“He was standing in a station all by himself”, Ink supplies.

“He was being talked to of ‘identification’”.

“Eh”.

I absorb that. . . .

“. . . .Ink did you let this person in without a passport?”

“Yes”.

Blunt.

“Ink, if the police catch him, he’s going to get thrown in jail”.

“Crap-“

Mr. Padparadscha internally panics.

“Crap, crap, crap-“

“What does crap mean?”

“He’s in trouble”, I explain-

“Ah”.

-That might have worrying consequences later, but it’s too late for that, so-

“What happened?” I ask him.

“I got lost...”

He heaves a sigh.

“I’m just trying to get home to W-“

He cuts himself off.

“Somewhere”.

“What is ‘W’?”

“A dangerous place”.

“Hmm...”

Dangerous?

Ink...

You’re kind to a fault....

*

Blue paint.

Blue sky.

Waves.

The stretch of dock I have my easel set up on is peaceful.

Unlike my head.

I dip my brush into the water cup and run my hands through my hair.

I can’t stop _thinking_ about it.

So much death, and all for what?

It never would have ended.

I _know_ it wouldn’t have.

An appetite for pain would have persisted forever.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only one who thinks that way.

“...Having trouble?”

“-?”

-I’ve never seen them before in my life.

“Yeah...”

They’re some kind-of ghost, I guess. . . .

White hair, red-eyed, dark poncho, and an unearthly point-of-view.

“One of those days”.

“I see...”

They lean in to inspect my work.

“Nice island”.

“Thanks-“

“Hallow”.

They smile.

It’s got a weird quality of optimism legit _nobody_ has anymore.

Not even me...

“Skye...”

I wonder why they’re here.

“I paint-“

It’s a lacking description.

It’s the best I have.

“Cool. I wander”.

I blink-

Was that a-?

“Where have you been?”

“To woods. . .convenience stores. . .”

I raise my eyebrow at that one.

“Convenience stores?”

“I like graveyards the most”.

-I expected that...

Something flickers on her head.

I squint, but I miss it.

What’s going on here?

“They’re so quiet....”

“-You’re right”.

I can’t stand them.

*

She’s hurting really bad.

My Sense says so.

It’s never wrong on these things. . .

But I hesitate to tell.

I’m not worried that I’ll get hurt.

I’m worried I’ll be disappointing.

I poke at a cobalt streak.

Some rubs onto my thumb-

“Still fresh”.

“I just started”.

I check all the tubes.

They’ve been used often.

“What’s it going to be when it’s done?”

“I don’t know”.

“That’s okay”.

I lean back.

“I can’t wait to see it”.

“-For real?”

She sounds surprised.

“Yup!”

“-You’re awfully chipper”.

“Yes?”

“....Nevermind”.

“Hmm?”

I don’t get it.

“It’s just-“

She withdraws her paintbrush, and stirs it in the air in a circle, spattering bluish droplets everywhere.

“Your existence confuses me”.

“Huh?”

“You’re so _happy”._

What’s so odd about that?

She shakes her head.

“Nah...just don’t lose it, okay?”

“I won’t”.

Why would I?

-

“Work with you?”

Why would they want to work with me?

“I...”

I swallow-

“I’m just a schoolgirl-“

Or I _was-_

“You have a lot of untapped potential”.

“How?”

“You make everyone you speak to feel at ease.

That’s a good quality for a Museum Guide to possess”.

“Oh. . .”

Museum Guide?

“Where did you get these files?”

I nod at my own face.

  
“They’ve been passed along through the grapevine-“  
“What grapevine?”

“Life and Death”.

They don’t say any more-

“Will you join me?”

“. . .”

I don’t know...

“-Can I have the Tour first?”

“Of course”.

-And that’s when all the lights flash on and off.

*

“You want to come with me?”

-No, I didn’t hear that wrong.

“Why?”

He pushes his side-ponytail away from his nose.

“I don’t really condone this kind-of thing-“

“Okay-“

You kind-of already said that-

“You also might need back-up”.

“Back-up?”

I float hesitantly.

“You sure?”

“They’ve been at it for a while”.

“...”

-It’s more reasonable than I’m willing to admit.

Even if he _is_ an Underclassman.

“-Don’t do anything stupid”.

“When I get serious, I get _serious”._

I nod.

“Any rumors tell you where they are?”

“The location is rather disputed”, he begins.

“Of course it is”.

_“But-“_

“But?”

I wait-

“It’s in a World Between Worlds”.

“Sounds fantastic”.

I shrug.

“Can you get there?”

“. . . . .”

He grimaces.

“Debatable-“

“Do you have any idea how _we_ can?”

“I may?”

“’May’?”

“Just follow me. . .”

-I have to rely on him?

That’s going to be fun...

*

She doesn’t believe me....

Well, crap.

But-

It was due to this dude that I found out about those dimensional rips in the Summer.

-It’s a long, long story...

I step into a shadow.

“-!? What the-!??”

“It’s not weird, I promise-“  
She wrinkles eyebrows, but hey.

She sinks in. . .

I catch her arm.

-Right, she’s a ghost, I don’t actually have to--

“Uh?”

“-You float”.

I let go.

“Right...”

I try not to blush too hard.

“So?”

-Have I ever mentioned how much I _detest_ expectations?

-I never meet them, anyway...

“Oh IIIINKKK-“

-She winces, and covers her ears.

*

-Ink promptly disappears.

-Before I can even ask:

“He does that”.

Kiara hand-waves-

“O...kay-“

I stand there.

Awkwardly.

. . . . . . .What do I say?

“....”

She’s just as lost as me-

“Um-“

I scratch my head.

“How’s your day been?”

“It’s been alright”.

She shifts around on the chair.

“How’s yours been?”

“A trip”.

-I realize I’m going to have to explain now-

“I mean-“

I heave a sigh.

“A bunch of weirdness happened, and then I met your friend, and I’m...in your living room.

Apparently”.

“Ink’s very sweet”.

“He is”.

 _Man_ I can’t wait for him to come back-

“I have brought more”.

I nearly jump out of my spleen-

“Hello~”

Someone in purple grins.

“Hi...”

The person in orange, not so much.

“We kinda need your help with something-“

*

“Yes?”

I shall try-

“Need help with what!?”

Paddy is. . .?

“A friend of mine got kidnapped”, the orange mouse says, “And we think you might know where she’s been taken”.

“Me?”

Me?

“Kidnapped to where?”

Kiara stands up.

“The Museum of Curiosities”.

“I have _never_ heard of that place in my life”.

“Me neither”.

The Purple Man deflates.

“Oh...”

“I have seen a floating house”.

“-Yes!”

“Hm?”

“Yes, that is _it-“_

“What is?”

“That must be the Museum!!”

 _He_ floats.

“Please, can you bring us there?”

“W-wait what!?”

I hear Kiara-

“I can do that”.

-I go.

*

“No, Ink, _hold on-“_

 _Annnd_ he’s gone.

“Uhhhh!??”

Paddy kneels and taps on the floor.

“Ink!?”

-Ink’s head surfaces.

“-!??”

“What does that mean?”

“It means ‘you scared me out of my wits’-“

“Oh”.

“Ink, can you bring us too?”

-I just have a really, _really_ bad feeling...

“I will”.

Paddy yelps as dark liquid crawls up his legs.

“Whaaa-“

“That’s normal”, I tell him-  
“It’s so _goopy-“_

“What is ‘goop’?”

Poor Ink stares in confusion-

I...think?

“Gross. . . .”

I try to smile.

“-It could be worse, couldn’t it?”

-He unabashedly nods.

*

I paint a little more, then sit back.

It’s done:

A portrait of the Bay.

“It’s really good”.

“Thank you-“

I’ve gotten used to her, already.

“...Are you gonna stick around?”  
“Maybe. . .”

She closes her eyes, and smells the breeze.

“Mm...salty!”

I wash my brushes off.

“Yeah”.

That’s how it always gets, out here-

“What’s this town called?”

“Mirror Bay”.

“I can see why”.

Everything’s reflecting something.

“It’s an okay island”.

I lift my shoulders up slightly.

“Pretty peaceful”.

“That’s nice...”

“It’s certainly a precious commodity”.

I cap my jars.

“I’m probably gonna head in”.

“Okay”.

I fold the easel.

Red eyes.

“AHHHH!??”

“Screaming is loud”, I hear mumbled-

“What happened!?”

Hallow catches me before I can fall into the sea.

“A-A-ghost-“

“I am not a ghost”.

“Th-then what are you!??”

“-Sorry-“

Some redhead pops their head up next, waving apologetically.

“He got distracted”.

“-!???”

“It happens”, Hallow chimes brightly.

“Are you stopping by?”

“No-“

A third person!!

“We’re very sorry-“

“The colors were bright-“ I hear another mumble.

I am seeing in real time.

Yes.

I _am-!_

I have to pinch myself.

It hurts.

*

They seem like polite people.

“Hi, I’m Hallow-“  
“S...kye-“

“Paddy”.

“I’m Kiara-“

“-Who are we talking to?”

Another one.

“Hi, I’m Hallow-“ I repeat-

“Michael”.

He bows in half of himself.

“How do you do-“

“-What’s the hold-up!?”

-Another one-

“-Aw man, Ink-!!”

“I am sorry-“

The ink shrinks-

“Hi, I’m-“

“Miley”.

  
She looks this way, and that.

“-We’ve gotta hurry-“

“Hurry?”

I tilt my head.

“Hurry for what?”

“Moon! She’s in danger-“

Miley’s fists clench-

“I’m not-she doesn’t deserve _that_ again-!!”

I don’t know what she’s talking about.

“I’d love to help-“

“-What?”

“Find her”.

I smile-

“Me _and_ Skye”.

-

“-I do apologize”.

“For what?”

“This interruption-“

They bring up a control panel.

Camera screens flicker.

I try to see over their shoulder-

“. . .?”

“-I knew it-“

Knew what?

“They have escaped-“

They stand rapidly.

I do too-

“-No, it’s nothing to concern yourself with”.

“But-“

“I will go deal with it”.

-I was about to insist.

It was back then, though. . .

My curiosity didn’t help.

. . . . .So I let them go...

I felt _horrible._

I _feel_ horrible-

The cameras disappear.

I sit in the chair.

. . .

. . .Why should I be so passive?

*

“-Say what?”

Skye and who-

“We’re helping”.

The white-haired girl grins.

“-We are?”

Yeah, they are-?

“Whatever this is sounds really bad, doesn’t it?”

Red eyes, blinking.

They kinda remind me of-

“It’d be good to have _all_ the help for that”.

“-You don’t want _my_ help”, the blonde protests, “I can’t do anything for anything!”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

-She just gulps.

-I gather the past didn’t treat her right, either.

(But to be honest, when does it?)

“Hey, if you screw up, at least you won’t be the only one~”

-I poke Michael in the ribs.

_“Ow-“_

-Then Ink does it.

“Ow-!?”

“Hm”.

-Why didn’t someone tell me we have a sponge-

“Why’d you do that!?”

“. . .?”

Oy. . .

“-Well if you’re coming, better do it soon”.

I fold my arms-

“It’s getting late, you know-“

-Hallow nods.

“Right, right”.

“Are you _sure?”_

“A Leap of Faith sometimes works”.

“-I wish I had your confidence”.

-Ink haltingly extends his...arms. . .?

*

Two new people!

Nice.

We float into the 2nd Dimension-

“Ooh! Reminds me of home-“ Hallow mentions-

. . . .Then where the heck does she live?

“It is my home”, Ink replies.

“I like it”.

We zoom along-

“You get used to the G-Force after a while”, Kiara reassures us.

“Dooooo youuuuuu-“

Paddy is turning green.

~~-Hey, he’s Plant Boi!~~

_Ahem._

We pull up to a floating castle-

Wooden steampunk.

Cool.

-Actually wait, don’t get excited-

“Is that it?”

Ink looks at me with the Mona Lisa face.

“Uh. . .”

“Only one way to find out”.

Miley reaches for the Knocker.

*

I just love having a headache. . .

And double vision-

This is why I am never going on a Roller Coaster-

I hear two, loud BOOMS-

There goes my heart.

The doors open.

Oh good-

Ink sloughs inside...

“It’s bigger!” Hallow gasps-

-You know what, it kind-of is.

A whole _town_ exists-

“Wow”.

Michael blinks, impressed.

“They made their own Pocket Dimension”.

“Cool”.

Kiara’s straining her neck to see-

“So where’s this Museum?”

“There is another?”

Ink’s head swivels.

One way, then the other way-

“It’s probably in the back, if they’re being illegal”.

Skye rubs her hands together.

Is she-

Ink speeds.

I lose my thought.

*

I found it-

“Nice one!”

Kiara is smiling.

And that is good.

“Exit Door’s open”.

Miley?

“Someone get here before us?”

Why is Padparadscha green?

“Can’t imagine who. . .”  
Michael does-something-and his shoulders move.

“We have no time to waste!”

-I set them down.

She is gone.

“Ah-! Wait-“

Kiara runs after-

They all do.

. . . .

I glide in behind them.

There is a hub, here.

“Okay. . .”

Paddy sways-

“Which way’re we going-“

I hold him up.

Miley floats-

“I. . .”

“Magic?”

Michael does the shoulder-lifts again.

“-Useful magic?”

Skye’s eyes are cloudy.

Hallow turns around.

“-People are down there”.

She points.

-What was that light, though-?

“Somebody else really _is_ here!?”

Michael’s eyes widen.

“Friends?”

I ask-

“We don’t have too much to lose. . .”

Kiara bites her lip.

“Except our own freedom, _darnit-!!”_

Miley slams a fist into the floor.

It cracks.

“I don’t want to do this again, darnit..........”

What are those wet drops?

. . . . . . . . .

Tears?

But. . .

Why?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“I can go find her”.

-She looks up.

“The 2nd Dimension should-show where she is”.

They are from the corners.

Glands, I think.

“Would you?”

Kiara pulls out a tissue.

“I can do it-“

“Good luck!” Hallow tells me.

“Just don’t get stuck. . .”

Paddy is deep-breathing for some reason.

“Thank you”.

I am going-

*

“Whenever he goes anywhere, all I have to do is say his name, and he comes right back”.

I draw in a breath.

“So. . .are we ready to find the others now?”

“As ready as we’ll ever be. . .”

Michael blows a strand of lavender hair out of his face.

“Yeah”.

Skye’s shuttered, and I don’t know why.

“Let us go now~”

Hallow walks away, with a spring in her step.

. . . I honestly have never met anyone more cheerful than her.

Her friend sighs.

“There she goes. . .”

“She must run on solar energy”, Paddy remarks.

“-She might. She was like that the whole forty minutes I talked to her.

In direct sunlight”.

“Woah”.

I smile, faintly-

“Miley?”

“What-?”

She’s wiped her eyes.

Her voice is still a little thick-

“Ink went to find Moon. We were gonna look for others-“

“What!? You should have asked me to go with him!!”

“-Sorry-“

She huffs.

“Ink?”

I kneel, and tap on the floor.

Trying not to feel stung-

“Miley wants to go with you......”

*

Ink’s head re-appears, and I flinch.

I’ve seen enough body parts flying around to last me a lifetime.

I knead my fingers into my forehead so I won’t get lost while I’m here.

I know they’re there. . . . . . . . .

“Miley does?”

“Yup”.

He sinks her down, and I start off for Hallow.

Because I could use some of that cheer right about now-

“Wait for me-“

Oh.

That.

Is a lot.

Of damage.

“Someone was _definitely_ here”, Kiara declares.

She doesn’t dare touch the black dust, though-

“Where did they go?”

Hallow peeps down the hallway.

“They’re probably trying to escape”.

Michael shrugs-

“Good luck to them”.

Paddy gags at the metallic smell.

“Ugh. . .”

“We should keep moving, then”.

I pick up an exceptionally long shard of glass.

“Whoever runs this place has no doubt noticed by now”.

*

She’s right......

My instincts are agreeing.

I shuffle along anxiously . . . . .

The lights are fewer, down here.

“I’m getting the creeps”, Paddy murmurs.

“...Same”.

Michael pulls his cloak tighter.

-I wonder how the Escape Artists are doing.

Hopefully well-

“We’ve got to shut this down”.

Kiara’s at the front, along with Skye.

I hurry to keep up-

They might need my magic, too.

More glass enclosures follow:

A leaping horse in black,

Some kind of vampire, teeth out,

A giant plant.

They’ve been frozen solid--

My heart beats in sympathy.

I reach a hand-

“Don’t touch that!” Skye warns.

I hastily pull it back.

“Right. . .Your right, sorry-!”

“It’s fine”.

Kiara watches us.

I don’t know what she’s thinking about it-

She seems nice though, so-

“Look!”

Paddy points to a door:

**DIRECTOR’S OFFICE.**

-

They’ve left.

I stare at my lap.

My knuckles are even paler than usual.

I don’t want to get hurt. . . . . .

The quiet.......

I’ve made a mistake.

Haven’t I.

...

. . . . . . . .

While I’m sitting there, something black floods through the floor!?

**_Acid._ **

****

“No-!!”

I jump up, accidentally propelling myself toward the ceiling-

_But the farther away the better._

“Moon, wait!!”

_Miley?_

. . .

I float back down.

“Thank God-!!”

She pulls me into a hug.

“I was so worried-!!!”

“Same-“

I hug her, too-

“This person wanted me to join them-“  
“You didn’t say ‘yes’, did you!?”

“No...”

“Phew”.

“It is a Museum. . .of kidnapped people?”

-The unfamiliar voice makes me start.

“Huh-“

“Oh that’s Ink”.

She steps away, eyes shining.

“I sorta came with a Rescue Ex.-“

“You did!?”

My mouth drops open!!!

“I-“

My own eyes fill. . . .

“Miley. . .”

And then I just start crying.

*

“Oh. . .”

I shuffle through my leotard for a tissue-

“It’s okay...”

I hug her again.

“Let’s go...you’re safe now, I promise”.

She nods.

Buries her head in my shoulder.

“I can find them. . . .” Ink offers in that odd way of his-

....................

She nods.

So do I.

*

-Eyy, they’re here-

“Hi!” Hallow waves-

The Friend shyly waves, as well.

“Thank goodness. . .”

Kiara smiles, relieved.

“That’s one down-“

Paddy sighs, but he’s also smiling, so-

Ink is standing.

. . .

Yup.

“Nice to meet you”.

Skye half-grins.

-I swear, she’s always tired.

“-?”

Oh no.

*

Footsteps.

I am _immediately_ on my guard-

Hallow’s retinas seem to glow.

Skye has her glass-knife-

Michael has whipped out literal, tiny _bombs._

“-Hello?”

I raise my fists. . . .

Yup.

A tall, person in white-and-black appears.

Bones clank, and I feel my jaw unhinge.

_Is that what I think it is-_

A wing of **bone.**

“Oh. New people”.

They brush orange hair from their eyes, and gesture, brisk-

_He/Him._

It’s on their hand-

...His hand?

_I hope I got that right._

“Did you escape?”

“No. . .”

Kiara says tentatively-

“Who are you?”

Miley’s irises are blazing-blue _fire._

“. . .I’m an Angel”.

-

Most people would probably call me ‘Fallen’.

Except I didn’t fall.

I chose to leave. . .

I hadn’t been on Earth for long before a girl disappeared.

I think her name was...’Alice’?

It should have made news, but the college hushed it up.

They’re religious, and have a spotless reputation, so I heard.

Anyhow, she gave off quite the blue aura, though she never once saw me. . . . .

I followed it straight here.

How odd.

Now, here are eight other faces, unsure what to make of me.

It _is_ understandable, I suppose...

“An Angel?”

The unicorn tilts her head.

“Are you alright?”

“-Oh, yes...”

I unfold my bony wing.

“Yes, this is just a mere flesh wound”.

I smile.

“It doesn’t hurt”.

Anymore.

“If you’re here for the escapees”, the Demon says, “They already left”.

“-Did they?”

  
I float up slightly, so that I can better peek over their shoulders.

“Are you friends of theirs?”

“Not really”, the redhead admits.

“We kinda came here for someone else?”

I scan them all-

“I see”.

I spin around.

“So it would appear we are all in this together”.

“Unless you run the place?” the orange mouse suggests-

“I do not”.

“-He’s telling the truth”, the Moon girl says quietly-

“I saw them.

The real Director-“

“Indeed?”

I pry open the door.

“Hello?”

“They already went to...catch them.....”

“......Oh”.

Well. . .

“Why don’t we spy?”

“Spy?”

The blonde cautiously follows...

“Yes. That way-we can see who else we are dealing with-“

“-Smart”, the Purple Demon mouths.

“Yes”.

The Ink agrees.

And echoes.

. . .

I crack my knuckles before hitting the buttons-

**PASSWORD:**

Ah.

“Try: ‘Password’”, the redhead posits.

**ACCESS DENIED.**

“No go”.

“Darn”.

“Maybe it’s in the office somewhere?”

The brown-haired girl starts going through the materials heaped on the desk-

“Hey!”

“Hmm?”

We all gather-

‘Alice’.

‘Envy’.

‘Kokoro’.

‘Korokuma’.

‘Lynn’.

‘Anubis’.

‘Morgan’.

‘Angelica’.

‘Sayori’.

-That’s the Missing Girl-

Followed by a sad-looking Elf, a tiny child and her bear, Maki and Kaito’s Pink Child, an Egyptian **_God,_** an unpredictable Hatter, the Lady of the Lake, and a water ghost.

“Someone’s been busy”, I remark-

“Yeah. . .”

The brown-haired girl is clearly disturbed.

“They were admitted within minutes of each other”, the Ink notices.

“Magic Power will do that”, I comment-

“But how do we find out who’s doing this?”

“We can always check the signatures. . . .”

The Purple Demon squints to read the scrawl:

“............Mae Sprightly?”

-I know that name.

“Powerful Mage”, I supply-

“Just great”, the orange mouse says, “Can anyone stop them!?”

“I can”, the Ink answers.

“As can I”.

I conjure an orb of light on the tip of my finger.

“But as long as we all play off of each other’s strengths and weaknesses-“

I let it dissolve.

“We should be able to beat her.

Especially if there are others running loose here now”.

“It’s just a matter of finding them. . .” the brown-haired girl adds gravely-

“We do know what they look like now”.

The Ink pats her shoulder.

“And you can lead us right to them, can’t you?”

The Purple Demon has a new glint in his eye.

“Like you brought Miley to her friend”.

“Yes”.

“-Yeah, that could do it-“

The blonde’s realized it as well.

“So that’s our plan...”

Miley thinks it over.

“I mean, it’s gone in our favor so far-“

“Here’s-here’s hoping...it lasts-“

The friend hasn’t let go of Miley’s arm since I’ve seen them.

“I have the feeling it will”, the Unicorn beams.

“Alright...”

The redhead’s a bit green at the prospect, however.

“Take it easy on the speed though, okay? I have a weak stomach-“

“-I will try...”

“Thanks”.

“You are welcome”.

Very wholesome.

“So how does it...?”

I gesture-

They stare at me in confusion.

“The Traveling?”

“. . . . .?”

“She means the 2nd Dimension”, the brown-haired girl explains-

“Ohh...”

Ink flows.

It surrounds all of us.

We sink-

“-Wow”.

This is impressive. . .

“If it gets too much for you, tell us, okay?”

“I will”.

-They are very cute.

-

“-Hey, Kiara?”

“Huh-“

I look away from Ink for an instant-

“I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier-“

“It was a stressful situation”.

“Yeah. . .but you didn’t deserve that”.

“...”

I smile a little.

“Thank you”.

-A weight I didn’t even know was there lifts off my chest.

Paddy flashes a thumbs-up over my shoulder.

The Purple Guy grins-

I can’t believe I’m thinking this, but for a bunch of odd strangers, I’m actually starting to like them.

“Look!”

-The Angel points-

A rainbow of lights up above:

Pale-blue, pale-green-lavender, pink-red, light-pink, and white, and golden, and maroon, and silver tinged fire and water...and cyan.

“That’s them!” Hallow confirms-

“Going up”.

Ink brings us all into reality.

Nine pairs of shocked eyes stare back.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Second Year to me and Chala!!!!


End file.
